1. Field of the Invention
My invention relates to exercise apparatus, and more particularly to free-standing, multi-station weight lifting apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The term "prior art" as used herein or in any statement made by or on behalf of applicant means only that any document or thing referred to as prior art bears, directly or inferentially, a date which is earlier than the effective filing date hereof.
Physical exercise apparatus incorporating captive or guided barbells is well known in the prior art.
Apparatus incorporating captive or guided barbells is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,314, issued to Louis Ceppo on Feb. 24, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,194, issued to Fred Dawson on Jan. 14, 1986; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,560, issued to John Azari on May 17, 1988.
In the devices of the Dawson and Ceppo patents a lift bar is slidably attached to a pair of vertical guide posts located at the opposite sides of the exercise station, the lift bar projecting beyond the vertical guide posts so that weights can be mounted thereupon in the conventional manner. Further, the devices of both of these patents are single-station machines, in that the attaching cable for auxilliary devices, such as a lat bar, is in both devices trained over a pair of pulleys located in a plane of symmetry equidistant from both guide posts, and thus the devices of these patents can be used to provide physical exercise to only one person at a time.
Further, in the devices of both of these patents the cable is hooked to the center of the lift bar, and thus even a slight lack of balance of the weight carrying assembly, i.e., the bar, guide sleeves, etc., or a slight dissymmetry in the placement of the weights on the outwardly projecting stubs of the lift bar, results in binding between the guide sleeves and the guide posts which critically detracts from the effectiveness of these devices and their enjoyment by their users.
Yet further, in the devices of these patents, the lift bars are affixed to the outer faces of the guide sleeves, i.e., the axes of the lift bars do not intersect the axes of the guide posts, and thus a cocking tendency is produced which can lead to noticeable binding between the guide sleeves and the guide posts, especially when the application of heavy weights to the outwardly projecting ends of the lift bar causes the lift bar to flex.
While the devices of these patents eliminate the use of weight stacks or "plates", they fall far short of providing the user with smooth, unhindered movement of weight, i.e., smooth, unhindered resistance, during exercise.
The device of the Azari patent is also a guided or captive lift bar machine. However, the device of the Azari patent does not utilize the disc weights mounted on the lift bar to provide alternative modes of exercise, e.g., the use of a lat bar, but rather incorporates auxilliary stacks of horizontally disposed weights, sometimes called "plates", to provide these alternative forms of physical exercise.
While Azari teaches that his device is characterized by "a substantially compact frame wherein the overall structure is of a relatively reduced size so as to be operatively positioned within a reduced area" it appears clear that the device of the Azari patent would have to be at least eleven to twelve feet long, five feet deep, and seven feet high.
Further, even though the axis of the lift bar of the device of the Azari patent intersects the axes of the vertical guide posts, the fact that the weights are carried by stubs directly connected to the guide sleeves, and the close fit between the guide sleeves and the guide posts, results in the danger of binding when heavy weights are carried by the stubs and consequently the lift bar flexes.
It is believed that the documents listed immediately below contain information which is or might be considered to be material to the examination of this patent application.
______________________________________ Patent No. Inventor ______________________________________ 2,470,815 R. Harvey 3,190,648 T. Kallenbach 3,235,255 L. LeFlar 3,524,644 J. Kane 3,902,717 F. Kulkens 4,358,107 G. Nissen 4,358,108 H. Voris 4,390,179 K. Szkalak 4,564,193 ______________________________________
No representation or admission is made that any of the above-listed patents is part of the prior art, or that a search has been made, or that no more pertinent information exists.
A copy of each of the above-listed patents is being supplied to the Patent and Trademark Office herewith.